I didn't even realize it was six o'clock already.

I was busy talking.

So welcome to our February third meeting.

Thank you for coming out on this cold night.

I appreciate it.

And we will just double check your phones, make sure your phones are off.

I just turned mine off.

I didn't even think I had mine in here.

Turn off your phones.

If you need any side conversations, that's absolutely okay, just take them out to the hallway.

And with that in mind, we will start with the invocation by Nancy Early, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance, please stand.

Never be limited by other people's limited imaginations.

Here.

And whereas in Pinellas County, 211 services are provided by first contact, ensuring individuals and families have access to compassionate, accurate, and timely information and referrals when they need help most.

And whereas 211 provides expert caring assistance by list listening to callers, identifying underlying needs, and connecting people with the appropriate community resources that help stabilize households and improve quality of life.

And whereas in 2025, 211 responded to more than 62,000 calls, text, emails, and online requests from Pinellas County residents seeking assistance with critical needs.

And whereas 211 addresses the root cause causes of challenges facing individuals and families by identifying presenting issues and connecting them to a wide range of available resources, not solely the service that prompted the initial contact.

And whereas 211 maintains a finger on the pulse of community needs by collecting and analyzing health and human services data, which is used by local governments, emergency managers, and community planeters planners to inform decision making and improve services.

And whereas 211 strengthens the efficiency and effectiveness of the local service social services ecosystem by ensuring individuals are connected to the right services at the right time, reducing duplication and barriers to care.

Now, therefore, Karen Love, Mayor of the City of Gulfport, Florida, does hereby proclaim the month of February and especially February 11th, 211, as National 211 Day.

She urges every resident to recognize the vital role of 211, promote awareness of this essential resource, and support a more connected and compassionate community for all.

Could you go up?

Yeah, thank you.

Yeah, yeah.

So we asked Councilmember Jackson to present this to you because she was the one that specifically requested this proclamation.

Thank you, everyone.

Oh, thank you.

Thank you.

Just now.

All right.

Thank you, Miss Jackson.

All right.

And then the next thing that we have tonight is a presentation, and it's going to be given by me.

And it's going to deal with uh the downtown area, traffic flow, parking, and speed limits.

So you got the pointer ready?

I got the pointer ready.

All right, routine then.

Okay.

So what I say would like to say to start is good evening, council, staff.

Thank you for being here tonight and for this opportunity to present to you my plan on the things that I've been hearing for the last 10 to 12 years.

Okay.

So uh one of the things that we do acknowledge from time to time is that our job is not to only solve the problems of today, but we should be preparing our city for the future.

And that's one of the things that I'd like to do.

But today it's only going to be focused and limited to the downtown area.

Um, the issues that I want to address are the safety issues, causing our city to be more pedestrian and bike-friendly, and also increasing parking without adding in a garage.

I find that uh about I'm gonna say half our residents would like a parking garage, and half our residents didn't, and so what I'm gonna try and present tonight is a way to do it without increasing to without having to add a garage.

Um over the last 12 to 13 years that I've been at meetings, I've heard this topic been brought up several times.

Um we just never got there.

We talked about traffic studies and they never happened.

I'm not angry about that.

Other things always seem to get in the way.

The last time we talked about having a traffic study done, um, we were hit by three hurricanes and a pop-up flood.

And so we've had our priorities looking in other places.

So the considerations that I took in this presentation today, I'm gonna admit right now they're all unpaid and unscientific.

But there's a lot of legwork that went into them.

So the first thing I did was I got a couple of volunteers.

I know Karen's in the audience tonight, she helped me.

We did a bike rack study.

Then I got Vice Mayor Thanos, Councilmember Shaw, Wolfgang Dininger, and myself, and we went door to door at our businesses talking to the management or the owners and getting an idea of how many employees are actually parking on our streets every single day because this is where their jobs are.

Then let's see, the next thing I did is trying to read my own notes.

And then of course, I looked at the information when I asked people to project and and tell me what their vision of golf port in 2050 looked like.

So those were the things that went into it.

Oh, I know I did miss one more thing.

I did also a very unscientific study on the restricted parking in our town that is currently restricted to residents only.

So those are all the things that went into what I'm about to share with you.

In terms of goals, I think every anytime you give a presentation, you have to at least be aware of what the goals were.

So the number one goal, absolutely, let's get this conversation started.

I want to increase parking without the garage.

I want to increase the bike racks.

We're already uh have done a lot on that already.

Uh increase prime spots, uh, parking places for handicap, lower speed limits, and add additional 15 minute spots.

So my quote uh what I'm gonna ask you to do is I as I talk tonight is to let me go through one slide at a time, and then of course I'll stop if you have any questions.

I'm more than willing.

And what I'm hoping at the end of my presentation is that I will have a consensus that we could open this up as a workshop on March 26th to the public for their input as well.

All right, with that in mind, our first slide is the easiest slide.

It really is just identifying our streets in the downtown area right now, with the exception of Essex.

All of our streets are currently two-way traffic.

All right.

Um, the yellow, which is beach and shore, are currently 25 miles an hour speed limit.

The orangey one streets, they're all currently 30 miles an hour speed limits.

And I was able to find out that any time that you see a residential road and it doesn't have a speed limit on it, it's 30 miles an hour.

I did not know that.

I got that from our police chief.

Okay, so that's it for the first slide.

Yes.

I was told all the streets in Gulfport except for Goldport Boulevard were 30.

I is it posted on those streets 25?

Yeah, we have it posted on beach and shore 25.

I guess I never paid attention.

Going too fast.

She's usually on her bike.

I don't think she's going too fast.

Well, that's true by bike.

All righty, so now we're going to move to the second slide.

I wish we could blow this up even more.

Fortunately, the council does have actually paper maps of this, so it's going to be easier for them to see.

So, what the second map does for us is all of the pink is referencing my proposal for one-way streets.

Um, and actually shows which direction.

So, I'm going to walk you through it one step at a time.

So, I'm going to start out by saying that I am asking that 54th and 56 both be converted to one-way streets.

Okay.

I would like to see 54th be southbound, and I would like to see 56 be northbound.

Okay.

Um, we have currently we have very many very narrow streets with two-way traffic and parking.

And I'm trying to increase the parking, and if that means getting a couple of one-way streets to help do that, it would be safer for all and increase some spots.

Then when it comes to the avenues, I am only referencing between that 54th and 56th.

Okay, so I'm not referencing anything other than between 54th and 56th.

I am suggesting that we go to one-way streets.

I would like to see 29th and 31st become eastbound.

And I would like to see 30th and Dalette become westbound.

Essex is already westbound.

So being that you have the close-up of the map, you see it really makes for a nice kind of simple, easy grid.

The last one way issue that I want to address, because I said this was from 28th to shore.

There isn't a one more thing I wanted to address on the 54th to beach.

Hmm, I got lost here for a second.

I apologize.

Is I would also like to see Shore Boulevard from 54th to Beach Boulevard be one way.

So you have cars coming southbound on 54th.

When they make it to shore, it's still one way all the way to beach.

That would require that our our angled parking on both sides of the road would stay, but we would have to take the south side and angle it the opposite way.

By making that one way and the and not changing up the angled parking there, it would also be very easy for our fire and rescue that actually have a little bit more space through there.

So that is all I have to say about one ways, and now it'll start getting a little more complicated.

Any questions before I move on?

I have one question.

So by changing the one ways, is the parking in the change of the shape of the parking spots, or are you adding more parking spots?

Oh, I'm gonna get on that on the third slide.

But the reason that I mentioned that at all is just to say that in what I've said so far, the only place with adding the one ways that would be affecting the change in the parking, what I've said so far, is when you turn on to shore from 54th.

We have angled parking on both sides of the road, that would stay angled parking, but on the south side, of course, it's angled the wrong way.

So we'd have to change the lines, that's all I'm saying.

Okay.

Good.

So now we get to the third slide.

So the first thing that I would like to say about that is the green lines that are on there.

Okay, and I guess I'm really trying to reference the green streets and avenues that are to the west side of beach, okay, currently are restricted parking for residents only during the daytime.

My unscientific study of that by driving slowly through the neighborhoods and looking at all the parking places and trying and never blocking a driveway and trying to not block mailboxes, though it's not illegal to block a mailbox, but it certainly would be discourteous.

I estimate that that is 253 spots.

I I think that's amazing to find out that that's many spots are out there.

Um, and I know that some of the long-term Gulfport residents know that they can park there and they do.

Um, but for folks coming into town and for people newer in town, when they see that restricted parking decal required, they think they can't park there.

That's a lot of parking, 253 spots.

And of course, that area there to the west side of uh beach, that was done very intentionally at a time when we were charging to park in the parking lot at the beach, and so the reaction of the public was well, if you're gonna charge me for parking, I'll just park on the sub the side streets, and so that's how that came about.

And I got here late in 10.

I've never seen them charge for parking, so it's been a long time where we've had all this restricted parking that is really not applicable anymore.

Okay, then I would like to reference employee parking.

Um, when the others helped me do this, and we went and talked to the businesses, we found out that at any given time we have anywhere between 126 and 150 employees parking on the streets because they're working.

And when you take that into consideration, that does not account for if there's any additional employees that have just been hired for um Mademoiselle Paris.

I don't know if they're opened yet, but I think if they're not, okay, it's gonna be momentarily if they weren't.

That's additional employees, okay.

Then you have Moon Underwater, they're gonna be opening very soon.

That's not included in there.

Um, then you have we apparently have a new ice cream store coming on beach.

That's not in there.

The Surf Shack is our new uh restaurant that'll be coming in between wedged between OMAD's and Stormrunners, that's not in there.

And if the Tiki rebuilds, that's not in there.

Okay, so realistically, what is that another 5060 employees?

So one of the things that I'm requesting, and when I say immediately, I really mean after everybody's agreed and thinks we have a good plan.

I would like to see that restricted parking be opened up immediately.

In terms of employ employee parking, um, I realize that there's a lot of employees that come in before five o'clock.

They might not come in until 4 30, but that's still 5 o'clock, which would mean that they really can't park on on those spots, and I'd like to see them.

I would very I'd like us to do everything we could to encourage the owners of the businesses and the managers of the businesses to create some kind of incentive themselves to make sure that their employees are parking on some of this additional parking and freeing up the closer spaces for our customers for everybody's customers.

Uh let's see, my last note says here all green streets and avenues.

Uh, I would like to see all the green streets and avenues to have parking on one side, unless the experts tell me differently because it's either DePont or 57, I think is wide enough that it could probably have parking on on both sides, but I'm not sure.

So for now I'm gonna say all green streets have parking on one side of the road.

All right, now we're gonna go on to the next.

I'm gonna ask you to look at 54th only.

I don't think there's anybody that would disagree that the parking on 54th between 28th and 31st is a total mess.

Some people park parallel, some people park angled parking, some people park in front of driveways.

Some homeowners think the entire front of the yard, uh, even though it's city easement, that that is all belongs to them.

So there's a lot of confusion out there, and I think that we need to clean that up.

Um, and just to be clear, I think everybody does know, but to park on the right-of-way is totally legal, okay.

Uh never want to block anybody's driveway, but parking on the uh right-away is legal.

So what I'd like to see happen there is I would like to make sure that all the homeowners have an opportunity to define what their driveway is, and then I would like to see angled parking on both sides.

Now I don't know for sure how much that will increase parking, but what I do know is that most cars are approximately 15 feet long and approximately 5.8 inches, uh, 5 feet 8 inches wide.

Okay.

That is taking that up now, if we took and made it angled parking, we could get a lot more spots in there.

So I'm going to, in my unscientific study, I'm going to suggest that we could probably increase parking on 54th by approximately 70% over what we have right now.

Sticking with me on 54th, um, when we get to 31st, it actually narrows.

You know, between 28th and 31st, it's quite wide, then it narrows from 31st down to shore.

So there I am going to propose that there be parking on one side of the road only, not on two sides.

Um, and and what I'm going to propose there, again, remember that there's a point here of trying to get additional handicap and golf cart parking involved.

I'm going to suggest that from 31st to Essex, that be considered golf cart parking and labeled and even you know, size that way.

I don't know for sure, but I'm going to say if you can get you know six cars in there, you could probably get 10 golf carts in that same amount of space.

And then from Essex to Beach, so that's a little bit shorter stretch right there.

I'm going to ask that that be labeled all for handicap parking.

And in terms of if that should be on the east side or the west side, I would propose that it should be on the east side because there's no interruptions.

If you were to do it on the west side, you would have the interruption of the alleyway as well as Essex Drive.

So that's where I am at 54th, and I'll take a drink of water.

Any questions on that?

Are those right-aways wide enough for angled parking?

Um, I think that the right-a waves from what I've been told with my conversation with Mr.

Nichols, you know, knowing what I was trying to do, I believe that the angles are more than wide enough.

Plus, currently you have to realize that that's two-way traffic, and we're gonna take it to one-way traffic.

Right.

And and I can't remember, I don't think there's a sidewalk on the east side of 54th.

I can't remember if there's one on the west side.

There is one on the west side.

Okay, and so from there to the street again.

Exactly.

That's great, yeah.

Okay.

Everybody okay with me moving on?

Could you could you would you please describe the Essex Avenue again?

Essex Avenue, what I was suggesting.

Well, Essex Avenue is one way right now.

Yes.

Okay, and what I was suggesting, so that real short block between Essex and Shore.

Excuse me.

Yeah, between Essex and Shore on 54th.

Next to the park.

Next to the park, that that short block be handicap parking.

Okay, so that okay, now I get it.

Okay.

That helped.

Thank you.

Okay.

Of course, I can't see those screens, so I'm having to uh you know, kind of walk you through it without seeing that.

All right.

Now, if you will now we're gonna talk about Beach Boulevard.

Okay, when we're talking about Beach Boulevard, um, between 29th and 31st, no changes whatsoever.

Okay, that would stay exactly the same between 29th and 31st, but on what I'm gonna call the top end, so between 28th and 29th, and what I'm gonna call the bottom end, between 31st and shore, I'm gonna ask that one side of the street, not both sides of the street, but one side of the street be designated for handicap and golf cart parking, and the other side of the street would stay the way it is.

The reason that I'm doing that is because you know right now that we have a lot of golf carts in town on a regular basis, and they're taking up full-size parking, okay.

And we we don't need to let them do that.

And I think that if you took and had somebody more expert than me who did the measurements, you might find that in this one spot here, we could only get one or we can maybe could get two cars, but maybe we could get one handicap and two golf carts.

So I would like to use the space that we have as efficiently as we possibly could.

So when I talk about the top end and the bottom end, in terms of what side of the street, I really think that it when looking at um between 28th and 29th, I would want the variegated, I was gonna say variegated, the um variety to be to the west side because that's where there's driveways right now, interrupting that already.

But when you get down to the bottom side between 31st and shore, I would like for it to be on the east side because that's where you have interruptions where Essex exits and also the driveway to the parking lot Pia's parking lot.

That's the opposite of what you have on the thing.

Right.

Okay.

Well, this the slides, just so you know, the the slides, we weren't there yet.

So what I'm trying to do on the slides is just show you that I'm gonna call it mixed use.

Does that is that word okay?

Mixed use is what I'm doing.

And I had not yet got to the point of realizing, well, gee, it would make a difference if it was totally interrupted or not interrupted.

Exactly.

So that's just a minor detail, and you might come back to me after you've had a chance to look it over, and you might disagree or point out another thing.

This again is to get the conversation started.

And I'm gonna ask all of you to look at this and improve upon it.

All right, so now I'm gonna go to 56th, if that's okay.

I just have one thing.

Yes.

Is this it looks like these are parallel parking as opposed to angle parking?

No, that is that is just the visual that was being used.

It's all angled, everything would be angled, absolutely.

So if you're putting handicap, would there be some spaces that were marked handicapped and then some narrower spaces for absolutely?

Absolutely.

And you know, so I'll be the same.

So for example, you know, if there's a driveway and there's only so much space, again.

We might be able to get a couple of golf carts in there where maybe we could only get two cars but four golf carts or one handicap and three golf carts.

So again, above my pay level.

Okay.

All right.

Um looking then at uh 56th.

Now remember from the beginning of this thing, 56 is would now be a one way.

It would head north out of town, okay, up to 28th.

So between shore and 28th, heading northbound, I would like to see that be angled parking on one side of the road.

That probably is one of the narrowest streets that I know of in Gulfport.

I mean, if if there they are parking currently on one side of the street, but we also have that as two-way traffic.

So I don't know about you, but many times I've had to back up to let somebody come forward or sneak into a parking place to let them pass, and vice versa.

That that really needs to be a one-way street in my opinion, and um angled parking one one side of the street only.

Okay, we're getting real close to being done here, guys.

Um, in terms of speed, I am going to ask that the speed, which I said on beach and shore was currently 25.

I would like to request you that you consider that beach, shore, 56th, and 54th.

Okay, all be dropped to 20 miles an hour.

20?

20.

There um two of those beach and shore are 25 now.

Um 56th and 54th are 30th, but they also aren't one way, and they also don't have angled parking on them.

So I would like to see those drop to 20 miles an hour.

And um, I think Mr.

Nichols suggested that that that would be okay.

I think if you try and go lower than that, then you have to get outside sources to agree uh with that as well.

Okay.

And the last thing that I was hoping to accomplish here is to add some additional 15 minute spots.

We all know what it's like to need a hamburger or or um pick up a card, and we just need to run right in just for a minute and grab something, pick it up.

We probably paid for it on the phone already, and you can't find a spot to do so.

So we currently have two 15 minute spots.

We have one up by series currently, and we have one pretty much right in front of uh Stellas currently.

Would like to see those stay, okay?

But I would like to add some more, and I'm not at all proposing that any one 15-minute spot is for any one business.

We're not gonna get into trying to police that, okay?

But I would like to see additional ones.

So I'm asking that we add one on 29th, with the idea that right there on 29th, whether they're trying to run into the Kava bar to get something, pick up food food from the North End Tap House Stellas and Moon Underwater.

That would be a fairly convenient location to have one on 29th.

Okay.

The second place I'd like to see one added would be on Dillette.

Um, it could serve as several restaurants, but would be particularly uh make it easier on PAS and is it Chatoria now?

Trattoria and Piaz, okay, so it'd be right there for 15 minute spots.

Um, in addition to that, I would like to see one added on Essex.

Uh that could be very convenient for Omaddy's Surf Shack, Storm Runners, Tommy's, the whole bit.

And then the last edition I would like to see for a 15-minute spot would be in front of actually on beach, not sure, but on beach, um, near Neptune's and Tommy's.

I actually think there is one there right now.

There is ask for that some time ago.

So thank you.

I think the post office one was moved down.

Yeah.

Uh we couldn't move the post office one down because it was very much designated post office.

So yeah.

That spot.

Yeah, we removed that exactly.

And I'm guess I wasn't paying attention because I did ask for that some time ago, and uh I didn't know it was fulfilled.

So then I don't need to add that many.

Yes.

So is it better to have this one for um for Omaddi's and the new restaurant and store runners on Essex or on shore?

This is uh to get the conversation going.

Okay.

I am uh I conclude this presentation, and I'm definitely willing to answer questions, but I conclude this presentation by asking you to please give me a consensus that we could have a workshop on March 26th.

It would give you all an opportunity to really look it over, see what you like, see what you don't like, make improvements on it, and also open it up to the public.

I don't think there's too many people that might be able to read these slides from back here now, but if they look, you know, we can get those out to them.

I'm sure there's a better way for them to be able to see it as well.

So any questions for me.

Should we go in speaking order?

Yes.

Let's do that.

Um the reduction of speed limit.

I'm all for that, but have we done any kind of traffic pattern for something like that?

No.

Okay.

Everything's unscientific.

Okay.

Um I only made mention of the fact that when I said the 20 miles an hour, I've heard people in our town asking to be more pedestrian friendly and to drop it to 10 miles an hour.

So I thought that 20 miles an hour was a compromise because I'm always looking for compromise.

And I also felt like Mr.

Nichols uh said something to me to the effect that if you go lower than that, then I don't know if it's a state or a county.

Um, our city manager might know that, but you know, then you run into some outside factors.

We did that for something that Jennifer Downsh had brought up to me on 15 or 17 or something.

So that's why I wanted to just double check.

You have to establish, you have to have criteria that establish it.

So you'd have to do a traffic study that what to what you're basically traffic is created by the speed of the vehicles.

Right, right.

Okay, okay, good.

No, I look I like this.

This is great.

I do need more time with it, though.

I want to see I only worked on it for eight years, don't we?

No, I know.

You can give me a vote, right?

Okay, who's next?

Me.

Okay.

First of all, I I went to the ear doctor today, and I'm I'm having a hard time hearing.

So if people could be really careful to speak a little louder, I appreciate it.

Um I love this.

I have been trying to do a lot of this already, especially opening up all this parking um between uh a beach and 58th, because I drove up and down all of those, and I found five people who didn't either have a driveway or parking in the alley.

So it's not gonna really inconvenience hardly anybody.

They're just used to having it there.

And still they'll often have plenty of space for parking most of the time anyway.

So I love that.

Um and I also like the the reduced um speed.

I tried to change the whole downtown to 25 at one time and was told I couldn't do that, that that was impossible, that the county wouldn't allow it, the sheriff, and it was gonna be a big drama.

So I like the reduced speed.

Um the only thing I would say is that we should maybe sprinkle a couple of handicaps in some of the other blocks.

And that's at this time I wasn't removing any handicap that's in the other blocks already.

Yeah.

Okay, and I think we pretty much have a couple in every block, and I was not at this point attacking any.

I was actually greatly increasing the number of handicapped spots.

But otherwise, I think it looks great.

And I I think you did a lot of work and it it looks great.

And I really support it.

Yes.

I I think it's an excellent start for the conversation, and I look forward to driving around those some more, although I I already do.

And and to reduce the speed, uh actually on the side streets, I I tend to drive slower, and I've noticed a lot of people do already.

So I I'm sure there'll be some adjustments for all of us, residents, visitors, and and homeowners there.

But um I I think that there's some real worthwhile consideration here.

Um so um I really want to thank you for for bringing this forward.

Well, thank you.

Yes, I go around and I talk to other leaders in other cities.

I'm very much aware that um all the cities are looking at their downtown areas and they're all trying to slow down traffic.

And the one thing that I was able to read in a couple different sources is any time you have angled parking, you need lower speed limits.

We all know what it's like on beach when we're trying to back out, you know.

So um, based on what you said, does that mean I have my consensus?

Yeah, I concur.

Yeah, good.

And to the public, I say thank you.

Um and to you to everybody.

Change is scary.

I get it.

But I think that we are going to be forced.

Our streets are too narrow to continue having them be um two-way streets.

And um the parallel parking, it's really difficult.

I think this is going to make it so much safer.

So um I'm open to residents uh reaching out to me and telling me what they think their improvements are.

I'll be very open to hearing yours and we'll take public comment at the workshop as well.

And Mayor, I just have a couple comments also.

Yes.

Oh, I I am sorry.

I didn't mean to skip you.

See, I don't know what the list what order we're going in.

I'm sorry.

I have the list.

I can I think this was a really great job what you did, and I could see some things that could be we could bring sooner, you know, like do it in small pieces, like doing the study on the streets so we can find out if we can lower the speed limit, because I think that's easy to support.

Same with bike racks, and maybe even a designated golf cart parking spaces, like little things you could do that will be easy wins while we see kind of how the residents respond, like you're saying to um I think that's a really good point, um, council member Jackson, and that's one of the things that we looked at too, in terms of a lot of this can be done fairly easily and paint and signage.

And if after a year people still are saying I hate it, it sucks, then we might re-evaluate again because they're gonna say that no matter what in the beginning.

Nobody likes change, but we could do it relatively affordably to start with and then see.

But I do think that the way I laid it out, it would accomplish the goals that I set out in the beginning.

Yeah, and I think also I'd like I'd like to drive down 54th Street south and see how like you're imagining where that city easement is and how to add parking and well, you can figure that the city easement goes to the edge of the driveway.

Excuse me, I didn't mean to say that, the edge of the sidewalk.

Right, okay.

Yep.

Um I have one more question, and that is will we be able to put these slides up on the website so the residents can see it?

I wouldn't have a clue how to do that, so we gotta get somebody of a higher pay grade to answer that.

David said David said yes.

Thank you.

All righty, thank you all for listening.

Thank you.

All righty.

So with that, then that will lead us into public comment.

If you raise your hand, it's totally acceptable to talk on any topic.

You have three minutes to speak, and we'll be listening.

So, yes, Jennifer, I saw you first.

Hi, Jennifer Don't Premier Drive South.

Um, so I was at the last council meeting that was super long, and I appreciated it.

There was a lot of information that came out, and um a lot of people got to have their voices heard.

I thought it was awesome.

Um, and I know for brevity, we didn't read all of the e-comments, which I was super excited that were coming.

Um I would like to suggest that we or the council consider having a pre-scheduled um workshop day.

So maybe the days that there aren't council meetings already have a workshop scheduled, so we can as a group discuss what's going on around town or what topics we need to give more focus to and more time to.

It number one will allow for time at the council meeting to read all of the e-comments that come in.

It also gives another opportunity for public comment because at workshops there's public comment on things that are still not on the agenda.

Um if if it was like every other week that there's not a council meeting, um, I know that workshops require 48 hours notice for an agenda.

So if by Friday of that week you determine that there's not a subject that's worthy of having some kind of you know official workshop, then you can cancel it and not have it that week, and you know, we'll be out of it.

But if there is, then it allows everybody to pre-plan to be there for the whole year.

You know, we're not gonna be anywhere else but here on Tuesday night.

Um, but I think that that would be a really great way to have other people get involved, and maybe the first and third weeks or whatever days that there are council meetings people have to take their kids to soccer or whatever, but on those other weeks they might be able to, or one of those weeks maybe.

Um, so I think it gives more opportunity for everybody to be involved and you know, get out here and be able to interact with everybody and still have those e-comments coming in and have other opportunities for all of the people to have their their voices heard about things that maybe aren't on the agenda or are on a specific thing, so they don't have to sit through a whole meeting to talk about the one thing that they're really super interested in.

So thanks.

Thank you.

Charlotte I have something to give this to the clerk.

Uh-huh.

Please.

And don't be shy when you know when I'm trying to get through public comment, be get your hands up there so I can see you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I don't have a headache tonight.

Um first I want to appreciate uh having the pan-american flag raised at our library for Black History Month.

And uh thank you, Cosey, for recognizing the first black woman in space.

Appreciate that.

It was Nancy Early that did that.

Nancy did it?

Yes.

And we look just alike.

We're almost the same age.

Okay.

I look so much alike.

So this is an open letter to the city council in our police department.

Um I'm gonna read it quickly, but you have a copy of it.

Bill Ford is fortunate to have a police department whose chief and officers serve our community with professionalism, dedication, and respect for the people they serve.

Their responsibilities are significant, and every encounter with the public requires sound judgment, fairness, and accountability.

The horrific events involving the brutality, excessive force, and deaths attributable to ICE agents in the cities across the country are deeply concerning to most reasonable people.

Our police department has an agreement of cooperation with ICE.

It is unlikely that agreement will be rescinded due to threats of removal from office of our entire council.

In light of that agreement remaining in effect, I urge our city council to formally recognize that our police officers are under no obligation to participate in any action with ICE agents that involved illegal arrest and violations of civil or constitutional rights.

Developing trust between the department and the citizens, all the while, mindful of their oath, which includes upholding the Constitution of the United States.

They deserve the assurance of the city council, proclamation, memorandum, or whatever technical term, the city attorney and you might determine is the correct word.

Uh upholding their right to refuse to participate in the aforementioned illegal and unconstitutional activities.

Please show your appreciation for the courage and role our officers play in maintaining the safety of our community by affirming their right to refuse to participate in unlegal and unethical activities on behalf of ICE.

They're probably never gonna come here.

We're pretty white.

But if they do, they will be in charge.

Not our police chief, not our officers, but ICE agents will be in charge.

And I want our officers and our chief protected, and I thank you.

You're welcome.

Show of hands.

Uh Mr.

Lee.

Pretty white.

That's great.

I like to submit these again.

I did them last time, but they were never actually put in.

I showed that to Marlene a few months ago.

Uh she was quite shocked and said to actually see it.

Now I've sat down and said with many of them, maybe not one of you, but I'm sure that I've talked to at least one of you on Messenger.

I'm trying to figure out who it was, but I'm going to say it was you, possibly.

I'll have to go back and look.

But I've taken the time it isn't to, you know, bring this to April Panel's attention.

I've spent most of my time in this and attempting this and they get an audience with you guys.

You've done nothing by size weaponized in the city against me.

No one here at all.

I mean, I'm surprised and said that someone's even trying to introduce you to go back and apologize and send for you know the sundown town issues and everything else.

No one's here blaming you for that, but I can sure you blame you for everything you've allowed to happen for staying silent on issues in this thing consistently that people keep bringing up to you, and you've done nothing, absolutely nothing, but victimize us even further.

Weaponize the city, use taxpayer funds to continue to keep come after us.

I'm gonna give you some examples.

I also want to submit this too, if you don't mind.

Um I entitled this phony white people because it's exactly this and what I'm looking at right now, because we've tried talking and talking and talking and talking.

At least I've tried.

You guys don't think you've done is ignore people.

So I want to bring up one of this in Mania.

She was 14 years old in his hand.

It was uh an issue this and with an officer apparently attacking her and being accused by uh a family.

The only time it is and use guys ever in the history of the city pulled out and send metal detectors is the moment you knew that they said there was going to be a black priest, black family, black mother, black children, black uncle showing up here.

Okay, but for every other meeting, you've never once since I had a pull it out, but that's not inherited racist.

You go to downtown when 99% of your waiters are all white.

You don't find that a little suspicious that each time you find any of us listening is going to be in your kitchens, wiping off your toilets, mobbing your floors, cooking your food, because the majority of us in your kitchen is almost 80-90%.

Nothing to see there.

When I was complaining about white people doing the same thing I wanted to do, this and you continue to keep coming after me, but yet those white businesses are still open.

You never had one workshop, you've never listened to me, but here you are to see being told to apologize for something.

Really?

No, apologize and for allowing taxpayer funds and resources to be utilized and come after a citizen for simply asking why can they do it and I can't.

To this day, I've still not been able to open up my business.

Today's thing is you're still doing whatever.

I mean, I tried talking to Jennifer Webb too.

I mean, the surprise she's even smiling, nodding at me after this one went on the and told me that I apparently she had claimed I threatened her life.

I mean, she's been very friendly.

Exactly what he said on the oath.

Okay, thank you.

And the deposition is next, yes, sir.

You may want to look it up, Jennifer.

He said the same thing about you guys too, that I threaten your lives.

Look it up.

Have a seat.

Yes, please.

Sorry to come uh after that, but my name is Lewis Stevens.

I'm the campus pastor here at our new church, Kingdom Changer Church.

We're um directly right behind the Bogus Siega uh high school football field.

So we are the new uh church that is there.

So I've went to the schools, introduced myself.

I haven't had a chance to come to city council and introduce myself.

So today I am here to introduce ourselves.

We are new to the community, so we are looking to come and make an impact on this community.

And if there's anything that we can do, we're working on a daycare right now outside of the church, and we're also working on a youth center upstairs uh that we'll be doing to um bring in youth inside of this community.

So again, if it's anything that we can do or we could partner up with the city uh to make golf port a better place, we are here.

And so I thank you, Miss Nancy is over uh yeah, over our area.

Yeah, yeah.

Welcome.

Yeah, so I wanted to come.

She was a very nice lady when I met her.

So uh I just wanted to come and introduce myself uh to the rest of the team and the mayor to let you know that we are the new church that's that's there right behind Boga Siega High School.

So thank you guys so much.

Thank you.

Thanks for coming up.

Yes, Laura.

Laura Oldaney, 9th Avenue South, somewhat following on what Charlotte started.

Um I feel like excuse me.

Thank you.

I'm sorry, Laura.

I was that's all right, that's right.

Um it felt like a bit of a gap was revealed in the last council meeting when the issue of the 287G document for you know related to ICE had been signed.

And um, I just want to ask the council to I'm not sure what it is that needs to be done, but to create an environment or a system where that kind of gap doesn't exist.

So we're not blindsided by our government complying in advance and bending a knee to fascism in a way without the the residents knowing it, without us getting to weigh in on it.

And then and in doing so, putting staff, city staff, in a really uncomfortable position when they didn't necessarily have to be put in that position if we had slowed down and discussed these things.

And I I don't know if there's anything else we've done as a city to sign off and kind of consent to what's going on without even realizing that that's what we're doing.

But I just ask that you be mindful of this and that we be very thoughtful in this time as we move through this bigger picture.

And I think a lot of that does fall on our city manager, because it sounded like that went through his hands.

So again, if I'm here at the dais and I understand I'm talking to the council, then how do you, as a council, work with the city staff so that that kind of thing doesn't happen again to our city?

So again, if I'm here at the dais and I understand I'm talking to the council, then how do you, as a council, work with the city staff so that that kind of thing doesn't happen again to our city because I don't think most of us in this city want to comply in advance and support an authoritarian fascist regime.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And I'm going to ask who's next, but I want to say one thing that I meant to say before public comment happened, started this morning.

This morning, listen to me.

This evening is that talk about being blindsided.

The council was totally blindsided by what happened at the last council meeting.

We had absolutely no time to prepare to have conversations.

Everything was done on a fly.

The good news is we listened, we heard you, we heard fear, a lot of fear.

We heard rumor.

Okay.

Our immediate response was what can we do about this?

So we do have a workshop here February 26th.

Okay, the city will address all the questions like you, Laura.

I heard conflict sometimes because between some of the things that Vice Mayor Thanos was reading.

It was in conflict with what our police chief was saying, was in conflict with some of the things that the um city attorney but realized people came out and forced that day to be heard, they were heard, but we didn't know it was coming, so it wasn't like we were prepared.

So I'm just asking everybody if you believe in this city and you believe that we're all looking for the best interest of Gulfport.

Just please take it down a notch and know that we're gonna address everything on February 26th, and that's gonna be the only thing on the agenda.

I'm sorry to interrupt, but I meant to say that in advance.

So, next show of hands, yes.

Eileen good evening, Mayor Love and Council members.

Eileen 5139 Tangerine Avenue South.

I'm here tonight to represent the Gulfport Senior Center Foundation.

Um, many of you know that and have been to all of our events, but I just wanted to just say our foundation has grown tremendously, and our events because of the community involvement has truly helped us raise funds to support the long-term vision of the senior center being enhanced and grown.

Um, I am very proud of the city council's long-term vision that you have to refurbish and expand the center through a phased improvement plan, enhancing accessibility, comfort, and space without ever closing the doors.

And I know Rachel's here tonight, and she's I'm sure very happy to hear that too.

Um, the people that come to our events, we had a casino night just this past Saturday, and I have to tell you it doubled in size from last year.

People are coming from outside of Gulfport, but most importantly, it's our Gulfport community that are supporting us regularly by either being volunteers at these events or coming and sponsoring our events, the businesses that help us.

Um, I could go on with the list of the local businesses that support our events, but I think you all know who they are.

I just want to reiterate some of the events coming up that we are seeking some support with.

February 13th, unfortunately, we are sold out.

I can't even sell any tickets anymore for that, which is our James Taylor uh concert, which is a very romantic time.

Then we have um the comedy show first.

I'm sorry, I missed the 13th.

We're having every the second Friday of every month.

We'll be doing Foundation Fridays, where the foundation will be there at the center in the evenings between six and eight um to have like open conversation and dialogue and to do presentations or sometimes just a social event.

So more to come on that.

Uh then the 21st is a huge comedy show.

We've gotten six performers that are coming in from out of town that are flying in, they are hot headliners.

That's the word.

They are headliners.

Um, and some of them are even been on TV shows.

Please look for our flyer.

It's going to be at the Maria Center because it's gotten so large that we really want to fill that area and truly make an impact on the renovation projects.

Um, then March 28th, we have Leslie Smith, some of you know her.

She does just breathe, she's a ventriloquist.

It's a great relaxing opportunity just to come out again, and that's at the Hickman.

I want to say we have um the partnering with the city has been great.

Uh the Hickman, we the foundation had voted and decided to support um enhancing their sound system and working with Jason on the Justin, I'm sorry, on the um lobby area to um enhance the lobby.

We also worked on our uh garden at the senior center because of our VIP.

Some of you have been to our VIP receptions, and they we just want to keep making people those who really want to participate and love this community, we appreciate that.

Each and every event that you come to supports and honors the elders in our community, either now or generations to come.

Thank you Jennifer More of the same kind of community events.

Y'all I'm Jennifer Webb I live on 6019 17th Avenue South and I'm here on behalf of the Gulfport Merchants Chamber as y'all know I'm their treasurer and Scott's out of the country so I have the pleasure of announcing our upcoming events and inviting all of council and all of you to um the Mademoiselle Paris ribbon cutting on uh February 5th at 5 30 p.m the Gulfports Fine Arts Festival butterfly release of February 14th and 15th climber park um we've started a monthly art exhibit and this month we're featuring Reagan Fennessey and that will be Saturday February 24 1st from 4 to 6 at the GMC welcome center of course get rescued is going to be the 28th downtown and I'll just end with uh pink uh Gulfport Pink Flamingo tour of homes and gardens and interesting cultural spaces we'll say 11 to 5 p.m in the Gulfport Garden District if you have any questions please see the uh visit Gulfport which is our website for the GMC thanks everybody thank you who's next Amy and um because I know all of you so far and I know your addresses I haven't been asking for addresses but if you would you know just give your street so again I know everybody but so that we're consistent your name and address thanks.

Amy Costa 28th Avenue South just a couple things our for the love of golf port event that was scheduled for February 1st and we had our blizzard so this we canceled along the city um there were expected high winds and we didn't want to risk our vendors setting up and then also no one coming because we don't leave the house if it's below 60 um so that has been rescheduled for March 1st it is also a Sunday so please change your calendars come out we're getting even more vendors because now that the date has changed it's open up more people are signing up it's still going to be a lot of fun and uh for Wonderworks on February 12th we have a visiting musician coming in from Virginia his name is Ben Cosgrove and he does um really like ethereal piano music um so it's uh their tickets are available on our website um it'll be out in our garden at Wonderworks and we're hoping the community will come out and and welcome him to our town hopefully he'll come back and that's all I have today thank you.

Thank you.

Is it Amy?

Kate Kate okay I'm sorry Kate I'll get better I wasn't gonna speak tonight uh thank you council um I've been really um happy since last week and we dealt with a lot of the things that I was feeling about ice coming and um I really appreciate what other people have said and that we're gonna have a workshop is really great because I I think we need to talk about it.

We need to understand how we all feel um and what what time would that be?

Would that be a regular 6 p.m a regular council meeting I also would like to invite everyone to one city chorus is doing we are performing at the palladium on the 22nd of February I think it's 7 o'clock and it's songs of social justice dedicated to the two people who were killed in Minneapolis so it should be a wonderful concert and I hope people will come and if you need to get tickets you can come and talk to me.

Four o'clock four o'clock oh four o'clock thank you it's good you do your research thank you thank you Kate who else I'm getting ready to close um Wolfgang you're next thank you mayor council Wolfgang Dininger Beachway Park uh sixth place south uh I'm with uh Gulfport grassroots uh the last uh at the last meeting I came up here and said that the Gulfport grassroots will be taking part in the uh Lincoln um cemetery cleanup on the uh 7th um after driving through there and looking at it uh they had a cleanup uh just a couple three weeks ago the place looks great uh um a council person uh corey uh givens from St.

Uh that event is from 8 a.m.

to uh 10 a.m.

Uh you do need to bring your own uh supplies uh to help in the cleanup.

Uh your Gulfport grassroots, however, we will be doing our regular beyond the beach cleanup on uh the 14th, and that's uh our still our winner schedule 9 to 11 a.m.

We meet at shelter number four, and for more information, anybody can just look on Facebook or Gulfport Grassroots.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Good evening.

I'm Beth Birkabine.

I live on 56th Street.

I've been there for 24 years now.

Thank you, and I'm wearing too many glasses.

Um I'm here tonight a little uh unprepared, which is not like me, and I feel very uninformed too, which is kind of why I'm here.

Um, but I understand there's a workshop Thursday night regarding ballot issues.

Is that correct?

And um, so because I feel so uninformed about that, I want to ask there's two things in particular I'm concerned about, and they have to do with um leases with the city.

And um and and they seem at first blush like good ideas.

I mean, one of them is has to do with fair market value for leases, and I mean it's got fair right in there, it sounds like a good thing, but I know things aren't always what they seem.

So I would like to, in order to understand this more fully, I think it would be um helpful if I and citizens knew what leases exactly were talking about and what those leases entail.

So I'm asking where that information is publicly available.

Um it is because the the leases that I can think of are all non-profit organizations.

So um so really that's all I wanted to mention.

And I would I would also mention that uh this is sent to me by a friend that remind you that thriving vibrant communities have a blend of private public and nonprofit organizations contributing to the overall quality of life.

And um, so I just I I think we need more information to understand what this issue is exactly.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Anyone else before I close public comment?

Yes.

I'm Dilly Jacoby, I live on 49th Street South.

I've also been a homeowner there for 24 years.

I'm gonna echo something with uh Beth just said about the leases.

Um three leases I can think of right now that the city has are with non-for-profits.

One of them is a genuine non-profit, which is the Gulfport Little League, the other one is Boca Sega Yacht Club, the other one is um Gulfport Yacht Club.

Both Bo Sega Yacht Club and Gulfport Yacht Club have been here since well, Gulfport Yacht 1938, Boca Siega 1965.

Um I'm a little disconcerned about the wording of the lease word the wording of fair market value.

Gulfport Yacht Club and Bugas yacht club sit on the water.

They're both in clubhouses that they've refurbished and rebuilt and done whatever they can with it.

What is the fair market value going to be assessed on them?

Is this city trying to drive out non-for-profits or price them out of a lease?

Because that's kind of what it feels like to me.

And all of us have been through, well, I could say going back to the charade, you'd have the charret, whatever you want to call it, when they wanted to redevelop the waterfront.

Nobody wanted big development down there.

And I live on a reasonably busy road, and we I don't want big development down there.

So these two questions are these two referendums have me greatly troubled as to what the city of Galport intends to do with their not not-for-profits and how they determine fair market value of leases.

It's not really explained or very clear, and granted I'm late to the party and knowing what these referendums were, but I'm late to the party, and here we are.

Is this set in stone on the um ballot?

Is there more explanation?

Can people more explanation provided?

And what are gonna be the implications of three nonprofits that have been part of golf port for a very long time?

It's concerning to me.

And full disclosure, I am a member of BCYC.

So there's that.

But I am concerned about my community as well.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Anyone else?

All right, seeing no hands, I'm gonna close public comment.

I oh, and we will go to e-comments, excuse me.

I do have a total of three e-comments uh for this meeting.

Two are public open public comments and one is one comment on our item 7A.

So if you'd like me to read the two that we received, just the two public comments now.

Deborah Schufs, two slash three slash two zero two six, Gulfport Mayor Karen from constituent Deborah Schufs, stop withholding from public records requests.

Your 42425.

City Hall constituent meeting notes you wrote on a yellow legal pad as I documented for you.

Lincoln Cemetery Annex Petition is undated and non-legal compliant with Florida Law 1 slash 2026 council meeting.

You stated your staff told you missing date was not an issue.

City Attorney Salzman is required to speak on the diocese right legal review and not of non-dated Lincoln Cemetery Annex Petition.

Comment number two comes from Margaret Tober.

Number one of the accounts listed on the marina accounts receivable aging report, 90% of them are delinquent.

What is being done to collect these balances and who is responsible for doing so?

Number two, why does the city intentionally send utility invoices to the wrong addresses like an empty property rather than the owner's mailing address, which is easily obtained.

These accounts are followed up are not followed up on, and then when they are six months past due, the city files a lien on them.

Seems like an odd way to do business.

Thank you.

All right.

We've made it through public comment.

And so now we will move to the city manager report, please.

No report this evening, Mayor.

All righty.

City attorney report.

No report this evening, Mayor.

All righty.

City clerk report.

No report this evening, Mayor.

All right.

So we will now move to council comments and reports.

We will do it in speaking order.

Okay.

And we'll start with council member Burley.

Thank you.

So last night we had our Fusion 49th meeting, the first one we've had.

We took two months off because of the holidays.

And we had Ford Panellists there talking about safe streets, and that is finally starting this year.

So they had community outreach, they did all their studies, and they have recommended six short-term projects, six midterm projects.

That's where we are right now.

So an example of a short-term project is convert existing lighting to LED.

An example is Pinellas Trail Enhancements.

So they go from little to big, and we're not even talking about, we're not even talking about the large scale yet.

But what we're going to do first, no reduction in speed yet, which is why I asked about the parking.

I think that's a big deal, the reduction in speed and figuring that out.

So they're going through the study.

But intersection improvements and fifth Fairfield, 11th, and 15th, 18th Ave, Tangerine Ave, special emphasis markings over fresh stamped sidewalks, convert seven painted medions to raised medions, and additional speed limit signage and yellow green pedestrian school signage and a lighting study.

So we are well on our way.

Very excited.

And that's all I had.

Yes, and I think on the speed limit there, that's a little bit different because you've got two cities having to make decisions instead of one.

Exactly.

Yes.

Everything seems to take double the time because of that.

Right.

But it's still triple the time.

All righty.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

So the Gulfport environmental team had another meeting, and we're going to be starting to do measuring trees by neighborhoods, and we'll have people in charge of like say five or six blocks to get those done.

And initially we want to try and get those areas done by May while it's still fairly cool.

And so anybody who wants to come out and measure trees.

And the idea is that of course we're going to start with public trees that are on the right-aways.

And we want people to be working in their neighborhoods because if your neighbors invite you to measure a tree on their lot, then great, you go do that, and that adds to it.

But certainly we're not going to go on anybody's private property without their permission.

But the whole idea is that people know their neighbors and hopefully they they will let us do that.

But again, we want to try and um you know do as much as we can by May.

And then Dean Hay, who's the chair of this, is also working with the city to find out where are their spaces in right-aways that aren't planted that could use a tree.

And they've given him all the criteria for you know utilities and all of that, you know, where you can where you can plant.

And of course, it's always right tree, right place, so that um it's not too tall, it doesn't break up the sidewalk and all of that.

Um and when we do plant trees, um the city is gonna take care of them for the first while while they get watered in, but then we do want um neighbors to help um establish the trees so that we can add more canopy.

And then we're also gonna be looking at in the future doing coastal plantings and that kind of thing and living shoreline stuff.

So there could be projects for everybody.

Oh, also getting rid of invasive plants.

That's an another goal.

So there's a lot going on, so anybody who's interested, we do have it on the uh portal, uh, but you could always email me or or call me and um you know get on the list of uh people who are involved in this.

Um also I I I thought, city manager that we were gonna have a report on how many permits we had done.

I hadn't got the data today.

I don't have I will get it for the next meeting.

We had some concern questions about that.

Okay, excuse.

Yeah, because I'd really like to know how many are going to the contractors, how many are we doing, who have we taken to the magistrate, how many people of the hundred that you know originally hadn't contacted us, how many have we been in contact with the whole bit?

Uh the format we've had in the past, I'll bring you I I'm having trouble here.

I'm sorry.

The we had laid out a format we had utilized now being that updated, which had the number of Yeah, because it would seem like what that should be something that we get regularly.

Okay.

Thank you.

That's it.

All righty.

Councilmember Shaw.

Well, I'm not going to cover all the things that have been covered already.

I've been crossing those off.

Um I visited the senior center a couple of times this month, and one was uh Monday, at which time they were celebrating Margaret's 104th birthday.

So that was quite an event, and she is amazing.

And by the way, she says the secret to long life is a good attitude.

And she also does a two-mile round trip walk along the shore line.

Well, I don't know if it's the shoreline or along the beach every day.

So there's a couple of good hints for us all to adhere to because uh she's she's living life large at 104, even.

Um so anyways, as I sit at the different tables and we talk about different things, I'm I'm I'm there to listen and hear what they have to say and and just have a nice visit as well, and that's always wonderful.

Um the conversations um this time this last time most often centered on the 5.67 acre property, which I thought was kind of interesting.

There was such great interest, and then the publications that have been spoken of uh uh in public comment, and uh many of them expressed that Gulfport can support more than one publication.

That's how they feel about it, interestingly.

Um while it was evident the seniors watch the council meetings from home, several seniors that do not drive also requested uh gems or looper transportation options for getting to council meetings.

So uh I'd like to see if sometime we could discuss that as an agenda item, please.

Um and um then, of course, regularly it comes up that we we survey the neighborhood along Tangerine uh to see if they would be open to each side of it being one way since we're talking about fusion 49th changes and we're talking about road and traffic changes.

Perhaps we could consider that as well.

Uh we've already talked about these things, uh simple request by the bocce ball players.

Uh they're asking for a sign, helping people understand that it's for bocce ball games only, that they genuinely enjoy and respect and care for it.

It's just that some folks don't understand, for example, furnishing, other activities, and some report that it's even used as an ashtray.

Yeah, so uh I don't know how severe that is, but they a couple of them brought it up.

Um folks were going to present uh proposal tonight, and I don't see them here, so I'll I'll scratch that off the list and uh let's see.

Uh they're also asking what is the status of the Lions Club building appraisal, so I'm hoping that we can let them know tonight what that is.

And uh the seniors uh status of the senior center expansion option.

Oh, that came up at the senior center as well.

So different groups are asking about that.

So let's see.

And I'm asking, uh I I forgot to ask this yesterday.

Um, what steps we've been able to make towards increasing the number of mooring balls?

What mooring balls and that's all I have for tonight right now.

Um first item that you brought up, we can move forward.

We get some regulation signs up at the baccee court.

I've seen someone put a grill in it, things like that.

Um regards to the um senior center, you're gonna receive a presentation at your March 3rd meeting.

That will give you the status of where we're at.

We've started the preliminary renderings and things to that effect, and have you consider actions that you may want to take.

And I should have the final version of the um the appraisal and we will get that to you and also it'll be on the agenda for February 17th.

Thank you.

Okay.

Are you done?

I'm done thank you.

All righty so this is what I have.

Oh, I have no council comments are fourth.

We're not used to the new order.

I'm I'm sorry.

Are you sure you have no council comment okay all right so now it is my turn.

So uh council comments and reports.

So I did get to go to Tallahassee um last week.

I was there um Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday.

It was much scarier than being at the airport in terms of germs.

I mean the hallways are so narrow she's laughing because she was there too the hallways are so narrow there's so many people there's so much handshaking I'm so proud I came back not being sick.

There's as you know if you've been paying attention there are so many um there's eight House bills out there regarding taxes.

My opinion of listening to every representative that I got to go in and actually meet with this and I was part of a bigger group Suncoast League of cities and I got to actually have appointments with different uh House representatives as well as senators and I will tell you after talking to them what was absolutely clear to me is nothing is clear.

Okay.

There were many I mean that's just what I heard you know um definitely uh nothing was clear if I had any consensus at all I would say the consensus is that we probably have not seen or heard the bill yet that might be the one that makes it onto the ballot.

There's people that think that the um Senate might come up with a bill this week it might be next week they might not come up with one it might be that the governor and more than once I heard this expression it doesn't matter we're waiting to see what the governor does.

So that was one thing I just want you to know something's gonna happen but nobody seems to know what right now I also heard more than once that the expectation is is that they are going to end up having three special sessions after the regular session it could be on redistricting taxes and the budget.

I'm not predicting I'm only trying to share with my council you know what what I learned from this session.

The uh other bill the there's a Senate bill 840 that most cities are definitely in favor of I'm certainly in favor of it.

It would clean up some of the um difficult problems that were caused by house um by the bill 180 last year pertaining to the distance that you have to be from a storm time frame if you remember that's the bill that said that we could not do anything more restrictive or burdensome in terms of um planning um and it it made it retroactive back a year before the storms and all the way through I'm gonna say September of 27 this new bill would shorten that time to June of 26 that would be huge for us as well as um shorten the distance instead of it being a hundred miles from the eye of the storm it would be 50 miles and it would also get rid of the verbiage restrictive in Bertham which is quite vague to say the least so that that made good progress.

Before coming here tonight I did stop at um a meeting that was happening at Diston School it was being put on by the county school system.

Most of us have probably read that they are planning to close that school at the end of this school term.

Apparently the very final vote has not been made on that was absolutely no discussion about what would be done with that property but it looks like that school is probably going to close it's one of two schools in the county that's gonna close in listening to their presentation I was absolutely shocked we have like in in this school system we have like 35,000 additional students that we could accommodate more than what we are accommodating.

The students in our school system from twenty to twenty twenty five have dropped 5000 students okay so we have definitely Pinellas County which is not that affordable to live in has a definitely a declining number of children entering our school system and they are looking at closing schools and they weren't shy today about saying okay there's two schools that will probably be closed by the end of the school year one of them being right here in Gulfport but there's many more schools that they're looking at for the end of next school season.

And they weren't shy today about saying okay, there's two schools that will probably be closed by the end of the school year, one of them being right here in Gulfport, but there's many more schools that they're looking at for the end of next school season.

So I just wanted to share that with you.

At this time I've not heard anything more about any Gulfport schools, but in terms of workshops, so I already mentioned the February 26th, 6 o'clock here.

That's a workshop that will be put on by the city and will address the ICE issues.

Everybody who wants to speak will have an opportunity to speak.

In terms of the the charter review, you did you did come late, but just re realize the reason that the referendum questions is because the voters are going to make this decision, not the council.

So not a year ago, but I'm going to say eight months ago when we got a new council, everybody appointed somebody to be on a charter review committee.

They worked very hard.

Then they were very good, and they went ahead and they did the entire charter.

They brought back to us what they would like to see on it.

We had um at least two conversations up here about what we agreed with them, and we agreed with many of the things they said.

A couple of the things will not be referendum questions because it's more a matter of policies and procedures.

But again, as I said multiple times, these questions are all going to be settled by you.

They're going to be up there for the vote.

The people of Gulfport will decide if they want their charter changed, and they're going to vote on each one of those questions and make that decision.

But the purpose of the February 5th, which is two days from today, is to make sure that our residents understand exactly what it means.

There will be public comments, so everybody will have an opportunity to say, you know, I hope the rest of you excuse me, don't vote this way because or or whatever.

We won't be saying that.

We'll just be making sure that it's clear in terms of what the referendum questions actually say.

Um I did get to go to the casino night and had an absolute blast.

If you haven't been down to the beach, you do you might not realize we've got um great activity happening down there.

It's moving along really fast.

I'm really happy with what I'm seeing.

They even were so good they got some concrete in there last Friday when the temperatures were up.

And then the last thing that I had, let's see.

I think I addressed that and that League of Leases.

Okay, address that.

Um, was I was hoping I could also get a consensus from you.

Um Priscilla Kidder, one of our residents, has an opportunity and is working very hard on applying for another grant for what she's calling a um not just a living shoreline, but a passive living shoreline in front of the um veterans um veterans hospital, VA Park, Veterans Park, excuse me.

And so um she would like an opportunity because she's up against a deadline in March.

She would like an opportunity to give a presentation of approximately 10 minutes at the next meeting, which is February 17th.

Certainly, if you're okay, yeah.

Alrighty, that's it for me then.

So if you would, City Clerk, then can we move on to consent?

Item 6A consider approval of meeting minutes from meeting held January 20th, 2026.

Motion to approve.

Second.

All those in favor?

Aye.

Aye.

Any opposed?

Passes unanimously.

Moving on to 7A.

Yes.

Ordinance number 2026-02, first reading and ordinance of the City of Gulfport, Florida, amending Chapter 12, Health and Sanitation, Article 1, nuisances, residential lighting, providing for the repeal of ordinances or parts of ordinances and conflicts here with to the extent of such conflict, providing for severability and providing for an effective date.

Motion to approve.

Second.

Okay.

City manager.

Yes, Mayor.

Mayor City Attorney had drafted an ordinance for you in regards to outside lighting on properties.

We didn't have anything that established it as a nuisance.

We were making a jump to another aspect of it.

This specifically creates a nuisance level.

Um determines that is a nuisance if you do some of the things and what's permitted, what's prohibited.

Um he had talked about possibly creating one that was more structured and focused on lighting on the lumens and things to that effect.

This is the first step to create a structure for that, and he will be bringing back an additional ordinance for that.

This is just an outline ordinance, basically, that says it is it can be established as a nuisance.

Okay.

In speaking order, then council member Early.

Can you just repeat that?

Okay.

Okay.

What this is establishes it that it can be cited as a code enforcement ordinance.

Okay.

Nuisance.

I'm sorry.

A little bit more of a I'm sorry.

Thank you.

Is a court code enforcement nuisance.

It's added to the nuisance section.

What we anticipate to do is the city attorney would be bringing back one that establishes the levels like it's pr very similar to your noise ordinance.

It'll have brightness levels and things to that effect.

Okay, so we're not hiding I believe.

And height.

I'm sorry.

Also height.

Yes, yes, to address the specifics to what is allowed, not allowed.

Okay.

So what we're talking about here is still more to come.

Yes, more to come.

That's the best way to put it.

Thank you.

I have no questions.

I understand it.

Thank you.

Thank you.

So I have a couple things that I just think are too vague.

Like it has permitted exterior lighting used for safety purposes.

I don't know what that even means, you know, exactly.

Because what one person could think of as safety, somebody else wouldn't think of.

You know, so I think that's it.

That's a bit vague.

And um because you know, they might feel like a spotlight in their front yard they need for safety.

You know.

And under prohibited lightning, it says this for you know, certain permanent outdoor lighting types, and then including, but again, uh a certain is vague, and then the things that it lists are fine.

Um, but then it says the ordinance does not allow reasonable residential lighting.

Again, what's reasonable for one person is not reasonable for another.

So I I don't know if there's something we could do to tighten up that language.

Because even if even if we do something later to have, you know, exactly how bright they are, you know, it's it still could be vague.

Well I think that was the intent.

I mean, to establish and I understand your question about vagueness, and um, but I guess to defining what would create my recommendation then, if you're not comfortable with this ordinance, and it would be up council, of course, is to table it, table this reading if you would like to.

I mean, I'd like to get something going though, but um so I I mean like permitted lighting, you know, exterior.

I mean, I guess what we're all kind of at least I'm speaking for myself.

What I'm used to, I should rephrase, is having a porch light, you know, and maybe a little pull out front with a little light on it, but not bright lights and not um, you know, like we've talked about lights that are really high or you know, that come on that shine in somebody else's is um yard.

So I don't know if we could restrict it to to um permitted lighting to porch lights, you know, and then have some other kind of um, you know, things that are specifically prohibited, but you know, um it just seems like what's what was always standard here were basically porch lights, and now there's just all this other stuff.

Okay.

Councilmember Shaw.

Uh what I understood the legal counsel to be explaining was that this was needed as a first step to address the the nuisance aspect of it as far as it illuminating beyond their their perimeters of their property, and that the specificity would come in the next proposal that he would bring to us.

Um with that, um I think that that would require us to maybe focus and put uh more detail into that as as he advised previously.

Okay.

Councilmember Jackson.

Yep.

Um I'm okay with this language as similar to what Marlene said, and I just hope that we don't sound too much like an HOA.

Well, I'm glad that you said that because I looked at this, and at first I thought it was exact same as what we had looked at um two weeks ago.

So I pulled it out and I looked, and it is not the same.

Um there were several phrases that we called HOA-ish that have been removed.

And there was some language that I would say was very vague in it that has been removed.

So it did not address my observation was it did not address what I'm gonna call the intensity of the light and the height of the light, which is my bugaboo for sure, with motion detector lights on second stories um being activated by a cat and shining into somebody else's bedroom.

Okay.

So it did not do that, but I when I reached out to the attorney, he did say to me that this was step one, and that uh step two um probably would fall in under zoning or or permitting and and and not as a nuisance.

So it's kind of a two-step process.

So I am okay with this.

Um I want to see more, and I think that I've communicated that, and I think we've said that here.

So I would be okay.

What about just under permitted lighting, have exterior lighting used for safety purposes, such as entry lighting and get rid of the security lighting?

Because I don't even know what security lighting means.

But maybe somebody wants to be fancy with their house and not just have a portion.

What if somebody wants to be fancy with their house and they buy a house and it's architecturally sound and it's I mean, are we getting complaints?

Are the neighbors do we just not like it?

Or is the neighbors of these folks complaining?

Like why are we talking about this?

I guess I don't understand.

Oh, I've had neighbors complaining.

Okay.

In your neighborhood.

Well, not specifically in my neighborhood, but in other neighborhoods.

Okay.

Because there's no brand new houses in my neighborhood that have this.

Okay.

Everybody's just has a porch light.

Okay.

Right.

Okay.

And when you talk to me, when you mentioned security, you know, whether you call it security or safety purposes, to me, that is motion detector lights.

That's my interpretation.

Okay, yeah, that's what I'm saying.

It's not, it's not sure.

Uh-huh.

Anyone else have anything else to add on it.

Okay.

Call the vote.

Oh, public comment.

I'm sorry.

Yes, Jennifer.

And do we have do we we also have an e-comment?

No, let me forget.

Jennifer Donch Premier Drive South.

Um, so after reading that after the um agenda came out, I thought it was pretty vague, but it was also oddly specific with the things like up lighting, upward pointed lighting.

I thought like it looks really pretty, and look, you know, lighting up the palm trees and some, you know, decorative in front of the house with your plants and stuff, like garden lights are really pretty.

Um also beacons, like I'm not aware of anybody that has a lighthouse or anything that's like spinning a light around and shining anything like that.

Lights that shine at a right-of-way, like if you have a light on your mailbox that would shine onto the right-of-way.

That seems really oddly specific to me while not serving the general purpose of I think what we were trying to get at.

Also, my house is pretty lit up because of security.

Like it is a proven fact that lighting up your house, like you're gonna go to the dark house if you're gonna commit a crime.

You're not gonna go to the house that's totally lit up where you can see your face on the ring camera.

You're gonna go to the shaded, shadowy kind of house if you're gonna try to do something criminal.

So um I didn't like anything that was in this.

I thought it was I totally needed to be scrapped and redone.

I thought it was way out of line.

Thanks.

Thank you.

Anyone else for public comment?

Yes, Karen.

There's a house nearby.

It's a new house, and it already has lights up.

I have complained, but every time I drive by it at night, the lights are so bright, it's glary to me driving.

I haven't said anything because it's still for sale.

I'm not sure if this ordinance would address that because I don't live next to the house.

I don't live across the street from the house, but I can I can pretty much imagine the lights are very high, extremely bright.

If it makes it a danger to drive down the street, is that enough to make it I I'll be honest, I haven't read the latest version of the ordinance, but I don't know if it would address something like that.

And my understanding too from the last reading was this only applies to new houses.

If lights are already up there, you're there's nothing you can do.

So I don't really know.

And that's it.

Okay.

Charlotte.

I think this ordinance is a wonderful idea.

Um environmentally, because that's where I'm coming from.

Um light pollution is uh has a horrific effect on birds when they're migrating.

It affects our pollinators, uh, other insects that are around our neighborhoods at night.

Well, lightning bugs.

Um I've got a neighbor behind me that never turns off their porch light and behind me.

I've got a neighbor next door to me that every time a rat or a possum runs across the yard at night, their motion detector lights come on, and I can't sit outside.

So I'm happy that it's not gonna affect my neighbors because I understand it, it's not their grandfather, but I think it's a great idea.

Thanks.

Keep working on it.

Thank you.

Who else had did I say hand?

Wolfgang.

Thank you, Mayor.

I agree with Um at Charlotte.

I've always been against uh bright lights uh not only on houses, but I think we need to look at the pier also.

That's always been um uh a chief uh complaint of mine.

The lights on our pier have always been too bright.

Um I do understand from uh people that fish there, they say it attracts the fish, but I think uh we can put other lights up uh as we have on the very end of the pier that point down in the water that attract a fish for the people that do fish.

But I think all the way down there, those lights are terrible.

Uh so I I think we really need to look at that also.

I go into Passagrill, uh still you know, early in the morning when it's still dark.

Their lights are so dim across the whole town.

Of course, they have turtles to worry about, but and uh nevertheless, we have as uh the Charlotte said, uh, you know, birds, uh, you know, and and other things uh that these bright lights uh are just way too bright.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Anyone else?

Amy.

Amy Costa, 28th Avenue South.

Um I'm just gonna stick my two cents in as a single person.

Um I, you know, coming home at night, I do like a light to come on when I'm getting out of my car.

I do like my twinkle lights and my backyard lights that come on, even when the animals go by.

Um I think safety is a factor.

However, that being said, I do think this is a topic that does need to be looked at um because of environmental factors and some of those big crazy lights that we are complaining about, but also let's not get into that HOA feel where it's being nitpicked.

Um I think if there's an a broad ordinance that describes lighting that can be disruptive to you know other people enjoying their solitude or whatever, that if it becomes you know, like a you would call and say, My neighbor's got a spotlight in my window.

Okay, let's take a look and we'll handle it case by case.

I think if we start getting really specific, it could just feel a little controlling.

Um, like I'm all about you know the lighting for the animals and the birds and all that, but I would argue sometimes we have fireworks, and it is scientifically proven that that disrupts all of nature and every animal and vets and people that struggle with you know PTSD.

So I think when we start looking at those things, it could open up a thing of what else are we gonna start nitpicking and deciding is okay or not okay.

Just my thoughts.

Thank you.

Uh Carrie.

Good evening, Carrie Nelson, 10th Avenue South.

So I've heard a couple of issues here tonight.

It sounds like there are several issues with kind of newer houses, different construction, and that seems to be like a neighbor to neighbor issue, and hope that they can work it out, maybe talk to their neighbor and say, hey, you know, when that spotlight goes on, it shines in my driveway, or is there any way we can dim the exterior lighting?

Um I also heard issues about in the city lighting, right?

Which I spent over 10 years doing wildlife lighting in a theatral protection program.

I'm very versed in that.

Um, I think if if the city, if that's something that we want to look at, we should really explore kind of um dark sky programs and kind of take our direction from those not necessarily being certified, but there were really simple solutions.

You know, we talked about downlighting, um, different wattage, um, different types of lighting would would really help.

But but I would just urge us um to go less do our research, be cautious.

We definitely don't want to cause a barrier to people to getting permits in building and delay any people getting back in their homes.

So I just have concern about that as well with a new ordinance.

Thank you.

Anyone else?

Um RE comment, please.

You had one e-comment from Margaret Tober.

Who is going to enforce this ordinance, code enforcement or the police?

Will this be part of the future building rules and permitting?

Where is the data showing showing how many people actually complained about this issue?

Seems pretty HOA ish.

All righty.

So I I want to say that I lived in my house for 12 and a half years, and neither the front porch light or the back porch light have ever been turned off.

They're on 24-7 for the last 13 years.

Never had a neighbor complain.

Um I specifically asked that we would look at um what I was calling light um pollution, because in fact we have had homeowners in a community that feel like they have had their neighbors and it mostly was in this specific case, it was a situation where a newer two story home put their motion detector light up on the second story, which means it has a wider scope, and every time any kind of creature, animal, whatever, any kind of movement, that light came on, and then it stayed on for 10 minutes, and it really impacted the neighbor.

Well, in fact, we really didn't have any ordinance to be able to assist this person.

So I did ask for something.

I'm not sure that this addresses what my concerns were.

Um my concerns were, and the reason that I raised it also, I don't think I'm the only one.

We've been hearing more and more about lighting pollution, light pollution.

The other reason that I really raised it is because we all know if we're based in reality that we're going to have a lot more two-level two-story homes in our community.

And some of those two-story homes are gonna be right next door to a single story.

And so if everybody starts putting motion detector lights up on the second floor instead of on the first floor, which is what they've been living with all these years, we're gonna have more complaints about it.

So that was my goal was to try and have something there and the intensity.

I mean, I think that you know, between what some of our residents have said and what some of y'all have said, I think intensity is an issue.

I mean, there's there's lighting for safety reasons, which I can uh totally relate to, and then there's glaring light like these that drive me absolutely crazy.

And if I had to look at that all day long, I'd go nuts.

So I kind of see that.

So I think I need to rephrase my question a little bit to the attorney.

I don't think that this specifically addresses what I had hoped.

It did clarify and it made it a little less HOA-ish than what we saw two weeks ago, okay?

Yes, which I think is good.

But am I to understand that in order to get to where we'd like to get, which is to talk about height and and wattage, that we need to do this first?

That's open to being able to tweak it in in I guess not terribly substantive ways tonight to take that first step, but to answer your question, yes, that would be um my position was that we would need to do this, and then the more comprehensive ordinance would then come thereafter.

Okay, because what is it about this ordinance that would open the door for the next ordinance?

Why can't it be all at the same time?

I I would have to defer to Mr.

Salzman on that.

Um he had just shared with me that he was preparing a more comprehensive ordinance.

I didn't get the background on exactly if with the context of that, and I apologize for that.

Um but my understanding is that this would be the initial threshold step, if you will, and then um I he would prepare a more comprehensive one.

I know this is within nuisances.

I'm not 100% sure if it would be another one with another like almost full lighting nuisance section, if you will, um as opposed to a subsection here.

Um so the only value that I see in this in terms of new nuisance is when in fact we had a homeowner say, you know, my life, my quality of life is being affected by my neighbor because their their motion detector goes off every half hour and it stays on for 10 minutes in mine.

So if this ordinance is necessary for it to be considered uh uh nuisance that then we could have code enforcement talk to them, then I might be in favor of this.

Um it doesn't, for me, it doesn't address any of the other issues that I had.

And I know this is this is gonna be vague.

I know, and I apologize in advance, but just to get us the the kind of discussion started.

Section V3 under prohibited lighting, if there was another subsection under there to the effect of unreasonable intrusion upon the property of another, perhaps, or upon the right-of-way to the um citizen who mentioned the um issues driving and the distraction or the danger for with that, with it would that be something to at least get us started towards the direction of you know, with your second second floor um safety uh motion sensor lights shining into a a neighbor.

But why can't it why do we need it two step?

Uh he he said that they would be two different headings.

So we needed this step and able to get to the next step under a different heading.

Yeah, it's a different heading.

Oh, okay.

That much I got.

Okay.

So can I ask something too?

How much of this could be like for somebody who's just built a house with these big neon things in the front of it that impacts their neighbors, would they be able to code call code enforcement and ask them to say turn it off after 10 o'clock at night or something?

They would have to you would have to have a level, and that's what we're talking about in the next part.

You would have to establish what is too bright of wattage, we'll call it.

Like I know Mr.

Wolfgang spoke about then spoke about lowering the wattage on the pier.

We're looking at that as we go to update the pier with the new lighting and the new electric out there.

We're looking at a lower wattage, so it's not as glary.

And that was the intent at the time was for safety purposes now.

The community is looking at different standards.

But you would have to establish what type of standard, just saying it glares.

I think what Andy's trying to say is create specifics on it's allowed to be not to exceed, and I'm just using numbers for conversation, not to exceed 100 watt bulb or 60 watt bulb, or that's in the code.

That would go into the code.

So when someone comes in to make a building permit application, you would say, what's the wattage on these decorative lights or security lights?

You could have that conversation.

At this point, they can put that light up there because is it impacting the neighbor?

That's the neighbor's perception.

Until you can measure something, you can't regulate perception.

I mean, I may like my house as was spoken of decoratively lit.

Someone else says, Well, I want my house to be dark.

Well, that's something you're not, I mean, that's a perception issue.

You have to establish how bright are you going to allow this.

You have a factor, an engineering factor that says a 60-watt bulb will generate X.

But to this, when you when you spoke of vagueness, that's what this is very vague for that reason, so you can come back and establish that yes, we are creating the criteria that the nuisance exists.

I guess is the best way for me to put it.

You're gonna have you have to have something that says we determine that lighting can be a nuisance.

We all I think everybody here agrees, lighting can be a nuisance.

Well, how do you get to that point that it's a measure and I go back to the noise ordinance?

We've all had debates about what the noise ordinance is.

It's but there's a measurable quantifiable number, 55 decibels.

We're gonna you if you give us direction, you'd come back and say no outside leading lighting can exceed, and I'm just because I'm not a lighting engineer, 60 watts.

The bulb cannot be greater than 60 watts.

Well, then when someone goes to build the home or to get a permit, or a code enforcement goes out and says, How big a light do you have there?

And they tell you the bulb's a hundred watt lamp, well, we need you to change it.

But it's got to be something measurable.

I I get that.

And I'm I'm happy to do this if it leads to that.

That's that's fine.

Um, but what about the houses that have already been built is my question.

Well, that they're built.

But but you would have to be able to measure that.

For instance, like I I know you um the mayor's thing about security lights.

These are lights that are on the front of the house all the time those houses.

But but could we do something about they're there?

I understand that, but about making sure that people turn them off at a certain time.

Well, that's I think then you're getting into what happened.

Are you going to be responsible, Counselor?

If you tell somebody to turn off their what they call it security lighting, and something does happen, what level of responsibility are you gonna have?

Between potentially an uh overstepping intrusion into property rights on top of if we're if we're enforcing it through certain parameters that could be perceived and argued to create liability for the case.

If we determine that that kind of lighting is a nuisance already because it comes out past their property line or impacts their neighbor, we can't we we still can't go back to the people that have already built and tell them to turn it down or put lower wattage balls in the middle of the city.

I think what you do at that point is you say, hey, neighbor, did you realize did you realize that the city council and the city of Gulfport are now implementing some new things in terms of light pollution, and they're re asking that the residents not exceed this.

We can't force something down their throat, you know.

But it would give it would open up another possibility for them to have a conversation because this is what we have a new nuisance ordinance, and they're not going to be allowed to do this down the road, and we sure would appreciate if you could just bring it down a little.

Well, I know I've been asking my neighbor next door to he has an upstairs light that's like a porch light, so it's not real bright, but it still shines in my window.

I've been asking for years for him to turn it off, and it's not.

Well, I didn't say they were gonna agree, but some would agree.

So are we ready to take a vote on this?

Councilmember Early?

No.

Vice Mayor Thanos?

I guess.

I need a yes or no, please.

Did you say I guess?

I I need a yes or no.

Yeah, yeah.

Which is it?

Yes.

Councilmember Shaw?

Yes.

Councilmember Jackson?

No.

Mayor Love.

Yes.

Okay.

Passes.

Passes three to two.

All righty.

And that brings us to resolutions.

Resolution item 8A, resolution number 2026-06, a resolution sunsetting the senior citizens advisory committee on aging.

Motion.

City approved.

Second.

City manager.

I'm sorry.

And this oh, basically, uh Ms.

Mrs.

Swart Ms.

Schwartz had spoke last week about the making the senior senior advisory committee more workable for lack of a better term, because as a council appointed board, they are covered by sunshine law because they're working in your advisory to you.

What this does we took the same action previously with the teen council, because theoretically they could could not have a conversation about a program or a project that they anticipated having.

And so it all had to take place in public.

Subsequently, now we're saying do the same with the senior advisory board as we did with the team council.

Okay.

And that's their they requested.

All righty.

So we have a motion and a second in speaking order.

Any questions?

No questions.

That's fine.

No questions?

No questions.

No questions.

You can call the vote.

No, we have to.

Oh, public comment.

Uh public comment.

Seeing none.

Any e-comments on this?

No e-comments on the case.

Alrighty.

Please.

Councilmember Early.

Yes.

Vice Mayor Thanos?

Yes.

Councilmember Shaw?

Yes.

Councilmember Jackson?

Yes.

Mayor Love?

Yes.

Carries to passage.

Moving on to item 8B, resolution number 2026-07, a resolution of the City of Gulfport, Florida affirming its commitment to be an all-inclusive city.

Motion to approve.

Second.

City manager.

Yes.

Mayor, uh Council had asked for such a resolution.

The city attorney, I know took a lot of input from Councilmember Shaw.

Subsequently, this is the product of it.

I'm basically reaffirming the HRO and also elements of recognizing the past history of the city.

Thank you.

Councilmember Early.

I have no questions.

Thank you.

I still don't think this is strong enough.

Um, just acknowledging the city's history isn't regretting the curious the city's history.

So I don't think this is strong enough.

Okay.

Councilmember Shaw.

Um I try to write that particular paragraph in such a way that it would speak to as many people as possible.

And I feel like in context with the rest of the language that the attorney devised, and also in conjunction with our HRO, we are clearly delivering the message that all people are welcome here and a part of our community.

So a few meetings ago, in response to the subject of racial behavior in Gulfport's past, this continued to be raised over the years.

I spoke about the importance of healing, acknowledging our history, and unequivocally stating that everyone is welcome in our community, giving broader legal and political considerations beyond Gulfport.

I respectfully deferred and entrusted the remaining legal language to our legal council.

Um and um, you know, I I it is my hope that that we will proceed with adopting this so that there is no question in our future and and that all of our decision making, etc.

will keep this in mind.

Thank you.

No questions or comments.

I think you did a really good job on your verbiage.

I was very comfortable with it.

And um, again, I thought the human rights ordinance of 2020 2005 was very good, and it kind of spoke to the mindset of the council at that time.

And so what you did with between you and the city attorney, I feel like you um were able to now bring it forward to the mindset of the council currently.

So we still have our human rights ordinance, and this just is just another layer, and I appreciated that.

Thank you.

Um call the vote.

No comments okay.

Let's see.

I saw Courtney first.

Hello, hello, Courtney Procapis, 15th Avenue South.

Um, I applaud this as one step.

I agree it's not quite strong enough.

It doesn't have all the teeth, but you need baby teeth before you can get your big teeth.

So I would just love to see this as a continuation of that.

Um, I did just want to call attention to the language in the title.

It's it's referring to this as an all-inclusive city.

I believe what you're referencing is an inclusive city, and I'm going off of the UNESCO definition of this, which is inclusive cities are urban environments designated, are designed to promote equality and accessibility for all residents, regardless of race, gender, or socioemic socioeconomic status.

All inclusive in language is typically referencing to resorts, so all-inclusive resorts.

So I would highly recommend changing that language because we are not all inclusive unless you're gonna give me a buffet and a swim-up pool.

Thank you.

See you.

Mr.

Lee's fine, please don't dress me in my first name.

So again, uh, this is just a sham, at least in my opinion.

I mean, you guys have literally sat around us in for years, and it has said would people literally come and see you done nothing, absolutely nothing.

How do you expect an assent for anyone to take anything you have to say seriously when you weaponize your city to go after citizens?

You do realize that your own police department try to kill me in the back of a cop car.

I've had death threats, threat calls, text messages.

I've had some one of your citizens literally down this window, said I had an up your shit and drive his car right into me and ran right through a red light.

I brought these things up to you numerous times for years.

Where is the investigation?

HRO is a joke.

Because if you're the ones doing it, we have to confront our accusers.

Where does that go?

We have to confront the very person who raped you.

They got to deliver if they're the ones who raped you.

I brought this to him many times.

And it's been nothing but lie after liar.

You just heard me a second ago literally tell him this and he told me he literally went on their oath and told and he said uh under a sworn deposition that Jennifer Webb went and said that I had threatened her life.

And look at her.

No idea friendly.

He went and said all every councilman priorities, including you instead had claimed that I threatened your lives.

And when I started asking it, they sent for paperwork, notes, pads, emails, tax messages.

Give me something.

Oh, we don't have anything.

You could continue to keep making claims and claims and claims and claims again.

Each time I bring it up to you, you admit it that it's discriminatory act.

You won't admit the race.

But you're on video, literally admitting discriminatory practices.

It's discriminatory.

We can't do this while we allow that.

And again, where is the investigation?

Where's the HRO complaints?

Keep laughing.

Again, that's why videotape.

And that's the reason why you continue to keep making sure you set up every appointment to avoid me from doing it.

You're liar, April.

You're freaking phony.

That's the reason why phony white people.

You're doing this shit.

Listen just to make yourself look better.

And in reality, you're not gonna make this up.

You have refused to get back to me at all.

You claimed on here that you return everyone's emails.

Not yes, because again, why?

I'm still a citizen here.

Why are you not treating me the same?

And don't say it's because of litigation, because part of litigation is and not wanting you did anything.

Not once.

None.

I've been to your house twice, passed out paperwork, I gave you all the evidence.

You've done nothing.

I've sat down with you at least four or five times.

And again, you notice in our position.

I've sat down, showing you photos, everything else, still nothing.

Where's the investigations?

Where's the HRO complaints?

Where's something?

Seven years of this.

And he said, You guys have done nothing.

Now you're up here to some pretending, you care, you don't care.

This is just a sham.

Be about what you preach.

Start allowing people to actually do this and complain, do this and whatever workshops, figure things out.

And say before you get to lawsuits, you have plenty of times prior.

How many how much money do you think you can select?

Possibly could have spent trying to silence me.

A few hundred thousand when you could have just sat down with me and had a conversation, figured things out, had a normal workshop.

You denied me of everything.

Thank you.

Karen, did you have your hand up?

Yes.

Again, I did read this at home, but I haven't, I don't have it in front of me.

I wanted to make sure that in the proclamation, it it said something about acknowledging or however we're gonna word it the past.

I don't remember seeing that in there.

So it needs to be in the proclamation as well as the discussion about it.

Like I said, I don't know the thing in front of me.

And here's the other thing I'd like to see.

If we're going to say this about our city, that we're inclusive, not all inclusive.

Thanks for bringing that up, Courtney.

Um because I would like to see that buffet.

But anyway, um it should be posted places, it should be on the doors to this building.

It should be a sign, you know.

We have that I'm gonna say ridiculous because the wall keeps on getting hit, but that gigantic sign that says Gulf Port.

The fact that we are an inclusive city should be posted and should be referred to often.

It shouldn't be a discussion that happens once in a while.

Thanks.

Thank you.

Anyone else for public comment?

Charlotte.

Charlotte Downey, 13th half South.

So Karen just said what I wanted to say, that ugly sign.

I I come west down 18th frequently, and every time I get to 18th and 49th, there's that big stinking ugly black and white Gulf port sign.

I mean, to me, for the hundreds of thousands of dollars, the previous council wasted.

We could put a beautiful sign there, so people coming from the red line district, and you all know what I mean.

Would see welcome to golf port.

A beautiful sign, not some swallowing words here.

Not that ugly sign.

Please put some money into a sign that makes people coming across 49th feel welcome here.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Anyone else before we close public comment on this?

Uh, I think we said there's no e-comments on this.

Okay.

So attorney question before we call the vote here.

Do we need to not vote on this because of it saying all inclusive as opposed to inclusive?

No, you can note that amendment.

And I in the the title and then also section one paragraph one says all inclusive is those only two I caught.

But just stating those amendments on the record and then proceeding to the vote under those pretenses.

And we can get it voted on tonight if you would like to.

Okay.

So do you need anything more from us, Clerk?

Or have we made it clear that per Courtney, she's right.

It should say inclusive, not all inclusive.

Yeah, just whoever make somebody has to make a motion for that.

Like the amendment.

I can't just assume it.

You have to say it's motion to amend.

Second.

The motion to amend would be striking the word all.

Thank you.

And do we have to vote on that?

No.

The amendment.

Just the roll call vote for the resolution.

All righty.

Okay.

Councilmember Early?

Yes.

Vice Mayor Thanos?

No.

Councilmember Shaw?

Yes.

Councilmember Jackson?

Yes.

Mayor Love?

Yes.

Carries four to one.

All righty.

So all righty.

We have no discussion items tonight.

So we will finish up here with new business and we'll go in speaking order.

We don't have any new business tonight.

All righty.

Thank you.

Yep.

Councilmember Shaw?

I would like to ask that it be on the agenda to discuss uh gems and looper for seniors to come to the council meeting.

And then the other one as far as considering the one way for tangerine doing a survey of the neighborhood is what I'm trying to say.

So if those could be on a future agenda for discussion.

Okay, so you're asking to add both of those as discussion items.

Yes.

Okay.

Into the new future with a count new council.

Yes.

Potentially.

Okay.

Please.

Yes.

Do I vote in?

Yeah.

Okay.

Just looking for consensus.

Looking for consensus.

Yes.

Is that your consensus?

You got your consensus.

Thank you.

All righty.

No new business here.

Ah, and I have no new business.

Um, I think we addressed a lot during our council comments.

I have no additional new business.

So with that, I say meeting adjourned, and thank you so much for hanging and staying to the end.